harleys are unreliable

[1KPerDay]

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/forwood/  

This has been a fifteen year journey throughout the world which started in Australia on the 3rd of February 1996 and continues. In October 2008 This Harley-Davidson motorcycle , carrying our luggage , became the first and only vehicle to have been ridden in all the 193 internationally recognised countries of the world that existed at that time. Since then we have continued travelling, visiting places we previously missed or returning to places we enjoyed. Our motorcycle was purchased new in 1994 and we have now ridden it over 590,000 km. By August 2009 the motorcycle's original engine required substantial repair after completing 540,080km's. It has now been replaced with a brand new engine so we can continue travelling. The original engine will be rebuilt so it can be placed back into the motorcycle, should any new countries be created, like the recently recognised South Sudan. The motorcycle has visited 193 internationally recognised countries and over 414 countries, states, territories, isolated parcels, atolls and disputed territories as identified in the Most Travelled Persons list. This is more than any other vehicle, hence the claim "The World's Most Travelled Motorcycle"

[Sport-Touring]

[kevin_stevens]

They're completely reliable - they always end up bashed to bits.

KeS

[veefer800canuck]

I wanna know: how do they afford this?

[atadaskew]

540K out of the original motor?
That's a lot of bar hopping.

[veefer800canuck]

The breakdowns they suffered are chronicled here:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/forwood/bike2.shtml

[Rincewind]

The breakdowns they suffered are chronicled here:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/forwood/bike2.shtml

Interesting info.  Looks like they average just over 30,000 miles per belt.  

[veefer800canuck]

Belts would probably last longer if one were riding in normal conditions, IE: not off-road.

But if I had a beltdrive bike, I would not leave the city limits without a spare, regardless of mileage.

[Rincewind]

Yeah, belts don't like constant dirt and grit, and HATE rocks of any size.

They'll generally last a "lifetime" of the bike, more or less, if not subjected to such things. But even at 30k, that's longer than a chain would last in the same conditions, for the most part.  

That's true, but I think a chain would be simpler to replace.  The Harley couple said they have it down to 3-4hrs roadside repair to replace the belt.  They carried two spares after braking three belts in Africa.  

Regardless my hat's off to them on their accomplishment!  

[motrhead]

The Forewoods are amazing...but the bike has had it's problems. Cams and followers were toast before 50k miles (that sounds almost Honda-like  ) , cam bearing went at 119k miles (still not too shabby).
 It needed a rebuild and overbore at 142k miles...if you can keep replacing parts it should technically go forever...but didn't HD declare the engine unfixable at 300k miles? They were talking of stamping the original numbers in a new set of cases (I think that is what they are running now).I didn't see any mention of that part on their page, but it was in the Horizons Unlimited newsletter.  Still... not bad for an antique engine.